The disclosed embodiments relate to wireless devices and wireless communication networks, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for managing operational malfunctions on a wireless device on a wireless network.
Wireless communications devices, such as mobile phones, pagers, handheld computers, etc., have taken on great importance in individuals' business and professional lives. The “wireless” aspect of wireless devices allows individuals to utilize these devices whenever and wherever desired. As the use of wireless devices grows and takes on ever increasing importance, and as the associated wireless communications networks supporting and interacting with wireless devices grow, users have an ever-increasing expectation that wireless devices function flawlessly and without interruption. Thus, one aspect of user satisfaction when utilizing a wireless device deals with the ability of the wireless device to be robust in operation and reliable for frequent usage.
As with other devices having electrical and mechanical components, however, wireless devices do malfunction. Particularly troubling are malfunctions in the manner of the wireless device stopping operations while staying powered on, colloquially referred to as a “freeze,” or in a worse scenario, malfunctions in the manner of the wireless device stopping operations and powering down abruptly, colloquially referred to as a “crash.”
In these scenarios and other similar malfunctions, the user is required to reset the wireless device, in the manner of turning the device off and re-powering the device. However, the events leading to a freeze, crash, or similar malfunction have either not been kept track of in the device memory, or such event information is lost from memory once the device is powered back up. The foregoing fact makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the network operators providing wireless service to customers, the original manufacturers or producers of the wireless devices, as well as the designers of the wireless devices, to determine the cause of such freezes, crashes, or other malfunctioning events. Without such knowledge and ability to track such events, the foregoing parties are not able to improve the design of wireless devices to prevent future malfunctions.